I’m finding it increasingly hard not to turn into a grumpy old fart. I’m fighting it, but there are times when it’s hard. It doesn’t help when you see discouraging things in your community that makes you question your decision to live in a certain place.

But then, something happens that reminds you why you settled here in the first place. That “why” for me at the moment is Up Fest, a new festival being produced by the folks behind We Live Up Here. I love their attitude of just doing it. There is a passion and enthusiasm going into this that reminds me of something in the air here in Sudbury when I moved back.

Sudbury is a weird, weird place. I’ve rarely encountered a community that both loves and hates itself as much as this place. We are surrounded by natural beauty that is stunning in its grace, and yet try to do undertake a public works project that is more visually appealing than the most utilitarian option and the populace goes crazy. Try to get people to understand that there is more to our community than the quality of our roads and you’re really in for an earful (FYI in all my years working with people from around the world, I’ve never heard any of them say they moved somewhere because of the lack of potholes).

It just drives me to distraction the way this community works sometimes, and increasingly to dreams of living elsewhere.

But here now is a group of people who have said, enough! We’re going to get weird, and crazy, and there’s going to be art and music and we’re going to fill this city with imagination. We’re going to transform the community and show how it can be cool and different, and that we can embrace who we are and celebrate that.

I’m all for that! I’m all for anything the gives voice to the silent majority, or at least another minority that isn’t talking about roads or taxes. I want great things for our community, but great things don’t come when our politicians are silenced by a vocal minority of small-minded naysayers. There are countless examples of it, and I for one am fed up with it!

So if you want to see something cool, different and exciting happening in our community like I do, get yourself to a place where you can get tickets for this event, because I have a feeling it’s going to be something the community talks about for a very, very long time!